Pediatric Transgender Clinics: Who Is Going to Them and Why? :

Children and adolescents who are transgender or need support. In some communities, some clinicians have started clinics for transgender individuals or those who are gender nonconforming. What are the health issues addressed in these clinics?  To answer that question, Handler et al. (10.1542/peds.2019-1368) looked at referral trends over 3 years of 417 transgender nonconorming (TGNC) youth referred to a transgender program within an integrated health system in Northern California (Kaiser Permanente). The authors evaluated whether there were differences in their transition related by age.  The mean age of referral was 15; however, patients ranged in age from 3 to 17 years. The authors provide a lot of demographic information and note a significant increase in referrals.  While younger patients sought mental health support and guidance for themselves or parent caregivers, older teens used the clinic received hormonal and surgical services. It is interesting to note that about 20% of those referred had gender affirming surgeries, with mastectomies most common.  Even if your community does not have a special clinic for youth who are TGNC, this study is well worth reading to get a sense of what services these patients want and need so you can determine what could best meet the needs of these patients.